Search
Better Farming OntarioBetter PorkBetter Farming Prairies

Better Farming Ontario Featured Articles

Better Farming Ontario magazine is published 11 times per year. After each edition is published, we share featured articles online.


'Conflict of interest' motion slows sheep nabbing case

Sunday, April 20, 2014

by JOE CALLAHAN

Progress remains slow on criminal proceedings in connection with the disappearance nearly two years ago of 31 sheep from a quarantined Northumberland County farm.

On Wednesday morning at the Ontario court of justice in Lindsay, Judge Lorne Chester adjourned a hearing regarding a conflict of interest motion and advised those in the courtroom that the earliest he could release a ruling on it is June.

The motion, filed by Crown attorney Damien Frost, seeks to remove a lawyer representing two of the four people charged, Linda (Montana) Jones, and Michael Schmidt, alleging that there is a reasonable likelihood that the co-accused defendants will mount a "cutthroat defense" and appear as witnesses against each other. If the cutthroat defense occurs, one lawyer can't represent both defendants he contends.

Jones, from Hastings in Northumberland County and Schmidt, from Durham, in Grey County, are represented by Kamloops, B.C. lawyer Shawn Buckley, whose fees are being covered by the Canadian Constitution Foundation. According to its web site, the Foundation is a registered charity, independent and non-partisan that defends the constitutional rights and freedoms of Canadians in the courts of law and public opinion.

Buckley describes the notion of a cutthroat defense as "pure conjecture” and states that Jones and Schmidt are not able to afford separate lawyers.

Jones and Schmidt, along with Robert Pinnell of West Grey township, in Grey County, and Suzanne Atkinson, Warkworth, Northumberland County, face charges of conspiracy to commit obstruction of a Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) officer, to transport or to cause to transport an animal under quarantine, and conspiracy to defraud the public of a service over $5,000 under the Criminal Code.

Jones is also charged with obstructing a CFIA inspector under the Health of Animals Act and Pinnell faces a further charge of attempting to obstruct justice and another for obstructing a police officer, both under the Criminal Code.

Prior to the livestock’s disappearance, Jones, a Shropshire sheep breeder, was embroiled in a dispute with the CFIA over its decision to destroy her flock following a positive test for scrapie, a federally reportable disease that is fatal to sheep and goats.

The missing sheep were recovered later on a farm in western Ontario.

"It's really frustrating that this case isn't moving forward because of this application," said Buckley outside the courthouse on Wednesday.

Frost declined to comment on "matters before the court.”

Jones, however, was upbeat.

"The way (defense lawyer) Shawn performed indicates what good representation we have," she said after the proceedings.

Schmidt and Pinnell were also present at the proceedings but Atkinson, a farm journalist, failed to appear in court for a second consecutive time, and a discretionary bench warrant was issued. According to the ministry of the attorney general, “in circumstances where a person does not appear in court, the court may extend a courtesy by issuing a bench warrant ‘with discretion.’” This is the second discretionary bench warrant issued to order Atkinson to appear in court.

Atkinson is also scheduled to appear in court in Cobourg April 23, at which time a date for Chester’s ruling will also be established.BF

Current Issue

June/July 2025

Better Farming Magazine

Farms.com Breaking News

Calf Auction Raises Funds for Youth

Monday, June 30, 2025

Wyatt Westman-Frijters from Milverton won a heifer calf named Ingrid through a World Milk Day promotion by Maplevue Farms and a local Perth, Ontario radio station. Instead of keeping the calf, 22-year-old Westman-Frijters chose to give back to the community. The calf was sent to the... Read this article online

Cattle Stress Tool May Boost Fertility

Friday, June 27, 2025

Kansas State University researchers have developed a cool tool that may help reduce cattle stress and improve artificial insemination (AI) results. The idea came from animal science experts Nicholas Wege Dias and Sandy Johnson, who observed that cattle accustomed to their environment... Read this article online

Ontario pasture lands get $5M boost

Friday, June 27, 2025

The governments of Canada and Ontario are investing up to $5 million to strengthen shared community grazing pastures. This funding supports the province’s plan to protect Ontario’s agriculture sector and help cattle farmers improve pasture quality, ensuring long-term sustainability and... Read this article online

Health Canada sets rules for drone spraying

Wednesday, June 25, 2025

Health Canada has approved the use of drones, also called Remotely Piloted Aircraft Systems (RPAS), for pesticide application under the Pest Control Products Act (PCPA). Drones are considered aircraft by Transport Canada, but Health Canada treats them differently due to their unique... Read this article online

BF logo

It's farming. And it's better.

 

a Farms.com Company

Subscriptions

Subscriber inquiries, change of address, or USA and international orders, please email: subscriptions@betterfarming.com or call 888-248-4893 x 281.


Article Ideas & Media Releases

Have a story idea or media release? If you want coverage of an ag issue, trend, or company news, please email us.

Follow us on Social Media

 

Sign up to a Farms.com Newsletter

 

DisclaimerPrivacy Policy2025 ©AgMedia Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Back To Top